Enhanced information on mobile device for viewed program and control of internet TV device using mobile device

ABSTRACT

The user of an Internet TV device can control the Internet TV device using a mobile device such as a smart phone. The smart phone also obtains program information from the Internet TV device and sends the information to a server as a search term, presenting supplemental program information received from the server on the display of the mobile device so that a person can browse the supplemental information without disturbing viewers of the Internet TV device. The mobile device can also grab a link related to the program from the Internet TV device and use that link as a recommendation to friends on social networking sites.

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser.No. 61/417,978, filed Nov. 30, 2010. This application incorporates byreference U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/418,004, filedNov. 30, 2010, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/095,108, filedApr. 27, 2011 and Ser. No. 13/155,881, filed Jun. 8, 2011.

I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates generally to controlling an Internet TVdevice including controlling a software application executing on theInternet TV device using mobile devices such as smart phones and thelike and enabling a user to browse for more information related to thecontent that is currently playing on the Internet TV device via thelinked mobile device.

II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Internet TV systems such as Sony's Bravia Internet Video (BIV) make itpossible for different online content providers to present their contentin a uniform way to customers. In this way, a viewing experience isprovided that is rich with content and features.

TVs are now controlled at a distance by the ubiquitous remote control orremote commander (RC) for ease and viewer convenience. As understoodherein, however, additional convenient features can be provided byconfiguring a consumer electrons (CE) device such as a smart phone forthe dual purpose of not only remotely controlling an Internet TV, butalso to provide enhanced functionality (e.g., gathering additionalinformation, recommendations, sharing via social networking etc) that aconventional RC cannot provide.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Present principles recognize that a CE device such as a smart phone canbe used not only to provide input commands to a smart Internet TV, butalso for the enhanced purposes of browsing channels, browsing contentwithin channels, and viewing metadata about content without requiring aviewer to exit or decimate video being displayed on a TV as he otherwisecurrently would need to do. Moreover, present principles recognize thata CE device can be used to control a TV and also obtain a network linkinto content playing on the TV to enable a user to share the link with afriend without disturbing the content already playing on the TV screen.

Accordingly, an audio video display device (AVDD) includes housing, adisplay on the housing, a network interface, and a processor in thehousing controlling the display and communicating with the Internetthrough the network interface. The processor executes logic thatincludes presenting a user interface (UI) on the display of the AVDDprompting a user to select whether to allow the AVDD to be wirelesslycontrolled from a mobile control device (MCD). The UI enables the userto select for the AVDD not to be controlled by any MCD and to select forthe AVDD to be controlled by an MCD.

If desired, the UI can enable the user to select to be controlled fromany MCD executing device discovery and authentication in accordance withdiscovery protocols recognized by the AVDD. Example UIs enable the userto select to be controlled from only predetermined MCDs and not to becontrolled from any other MCD. As set forth further below, in additionto the above the processor, responsive to a discovery signal from an MCDnot authorized to control the AVDD, recognizes the discovery signal butdoes not respond to it such that the AVDD remains hidden from the MCD.

Additional features described herein include the processor providingprogram information to the MCD to enable the MCD to obtain supplementalinformation related to a program being presented on the AVDD and tobrowse the supplemental information transparently to the AVDD so as notto disturb viewers of the AVDD. Furthermore, the processor can provide anetwork link to the MCD which is related to a program being presented onthe AVDD to enable the MCD to send the link to social networking friendsof a user of the MCD to recommend the program to the friends.

In another aspect, a method includes allowing a mobile devicecommunicating with an audio video display device (AVDD) to obtainprogram information from the AVDD. The method includes sending theinformation to a server as a search term, and receiving from the serverin response to the search term supplemental program information. Thesupplemental information is presented on a display of the mobile deviceso that a person can browse the supplemental information withoutdisturbing viewers of the original playback on the display device.

In another aspect, a system includes a mobile control device (MCD) whichhas a display and a processor controlling the display and configured tocommunicate with an audio video display device (AVDD). The processoraccesses a computer readable storage medium bearing instructions whichwhen executed by the processor cause the processor to establishcommunication with the AVDD, and query the AVDD for program informationpertaining to a program being currently presented on the AVDD. Theprocessor presents on the display current program information from theAVDD. Automatically and transparently to the AVDD, the processor sendsto a server the program information as a query for supplemental programinformation, receives from the server the supplemental programinformation, and presents on the display the supplemental programinformation. This enables a user to browse the supplemental programinformation transparently to the AVDD such that viewers of the AVDDobserve none of the supplemental information being browsed on the MCD.

The details of the present invention, both as to its structure andoperation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and inwhich:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system in accordance withpresent principles;

FIG. 2 is an example screen shot of a user interface that enables a userto allow or disallow discovery of the TV by a mobile device;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of example logic in accordance with presentprinciples; and

FIG. 4 is an example screen shot of the mobile device allowing a user toshare a line from a current program with friends on social networksites.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring initially to FIG. 1, an audio video display device (AVDD) 12such as a TV, game player, or video disk player includes a housing 14bearing a digital processor 16. The processor 16 can control a visualdisplay 18 and an audible display 20 such as one or more speakers. Thevisual display may be a touch sensitive display.

To undertake present principles, the processor 16 may access one or morecomputer readable storage media such as but not limited to RAM-basedstorage 22 (e.g., a chip implementing dynamic random access memory(DRAM)) and/or flash memory and/or disk-based storage. Software codeimplementing present logic executable by the AVDD 12 may be stored onone of the memories to undertake present principles. If desired, theprocessor 16 can receive user input signals from various input devices,including a remote control (RC) 24. A TV tuner 28 may be provided insome implementations particularly when the AVDD is embodied by a TV toreceive TV signals from a source such as a set-top box, satellitereceiver; cable head end, terrestrial TV signal antenna, etc. Signalsfrom the tuner 28 are sent to the processor 16 for presentation on thedisplay 18 and speakers 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, a network interface 30 such as a wired or wirelessmodem or wireless telephony transceiver communicates with the processor16 to provide connectivity through the Internet 32 to one or morecontent servers 34. The servers 34 have respective processors 34 a andrespective computer readable storage media 34 b.

The AVDD 12 may also include a wireless transceiver 36 such as aBluetooth or WiFi transceiver for communicating with a mobile controldevice (MCD) 38, such as, for instance, a mobile telephone having awireless telephony transceiver 40 communicating with a processor 42accessing one or more computer readable storage media 44 to executelogic herein. The processor 42 may receive user input from a user inputdevice 46 such as a keypad, mouse, other point and click device, etc.and a microphone 48 for receiving voice commands which are processedinto digital signals by the processor 42 executing a voice recognitionengine stored on the medium 44. The processor 42 may output video on avideo display 50, which may be a touch sensitive display, and audio toone or more speakers 52. The processor 42 may communicate with a MCDwireless transceiver 54 that is configured to communicate with thewireless transceiver 36 of the AVDD 12. The processor 42 may alsocommunicate with the Internet 32 using the wireless telephonytransceiver 40 or using a separate wired or wireless network interface56.

FIG. 2 shows a user interface 58 that can be presented on the display 18of the AVDD 12 to support logic below. The UI 58 can be presented from asetup menu if desired. As shown, the UI 58 asks a user to select whetherto allow the AVDD 12 to be controlled from a mobile device. The user mayselect not to be controlled at all, or may select to be controlled fromany mobile device executing device discovery and authentication inaccordance with the discovery protocols recognized by the AVDD 12. Yetagain, the user may select for the AVDD to be controlled only by certain(“XYZ” company, e.g.) mobile devices as shown. Thus, the user may selectfor the AVDD to be controlled only by mobile devices made by aparticular manufacturer or running a particular operating system.

FIG. 3 shows example logic in the form of a flow chart beginning atblock 60, in which the UI 58 of FIG. 2 is presented on the AVDD display18. The user selection of whether and what mobile devices may be used tocontrol the AVDD are received. Then, at block 62, the MCD 38 conductsautomatic discovery using, e.g., the wireless transceiver 40 toascertain any devices including the AVDD 12 that may be in close enoughproximity to communicate with the MCD 38.

Decision diamond 64 indicates that the MCD 38 determines whether anydevices in proximity to the MCD 38 are permitted to respond to thediscovery signals sent from the MCD 38. If the user has selected “no”from the UI 58 in FIG. 2 or if the user has selected control by a mobiledevice category of which the MCD 38 is not a part, the logic ends atstate 66, in which the AVDD 12 essentially refuses to respond to devicediscovery signals from the MCD 38 and thus remains hidden from the MCD38. In contrast, however, if the user has elected to have the AVDD 12controlled by a mobile device of the type of the MCD 38, the logic movesform decision diamond 64 to block 68.

At block 68, the MCD 38 establishes communication with the AVDD 12.Proceeding to block 70, the MCD 38 queries the AVDD 12 for programinformation pertaining to the program being currently presented on theAVDD 12 such as title, channel, electronic program guide (EPG)information, etc. The current image being presented on the AVDD display18 may also be obtained by the MCD 38. Also, any network addresses thatmay accompany the metadata of the program being presented on the AVDD 12may be sent to the MCD 38.

Moving to block 72, the MCD 38 presents on its display 50 currentprogram information from the AVDD 12. The user of the MCD 38 may theninput AVDD commands using, e.g., the touch display 50 or the inputdevice 46 which are received at block 74 and sent via the transceivers40, 36 to the AVDD processor 16 at block 76, which executes thecommands. The commands may include, e.g., channel change commands,volume change commands, video display setting commands, etc. Channelchange commands can include changing TV channels per se as well as andchanging channels within a recommendation application.

Also, the MCD 38, automatically and transparently to the AVDD 12, mayaccess at block 78 the server 34 using the program information itobtained at block 70. For example, the MCD 38 may send to the server 34a query for information using the name of the program being presented onthe AVDD 12 as entering argument. Or, the MCD 38 may present on the MCDdisplay 50 a screen shot of the image being presented on the AVDD 12 sothat a person may touch an item of interest (such as an actor's face) onthe display, identifying the item as being of interest. In this case,the image of the item of interest is sent to the server 34 foridentification of the item, which identification is used as a searchterm. The above-identified U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/155,881,filed Jun. 8, 2011 provides further details of searching by image.

In any case, the AVDD program information sent to the server 34 by theMCD 38 is used by the server 34 to search for supplemental informationrelated to the search term, typically returning to the MCD 38 a list ofmatching web sites, at block 80. The list is presented on the MCD 38 atblock 82, enabling the user to browse the list, which can include linksto scenes from the program being presented on the AVDD 12.

Additionally, the above-mentioned network link that the MCD 38 obtainedfrom the AVDD 12 can be presented at block 84 on the MCD 38. The user ofthe MCD 38 may be permitted by means of the link to recommend theprogram being presented on the AVDD 12 to friends in one or more socialnetworking Internet groups using, e.g., the UI shown in FIG. 4 anddescribed below.

Accordingly, turning now to FIG. 4, a UI 86 may be presented on the MCDdisplay 50 showing the link 88 to the program being currently presentedon the AVDD 12. The UI 86 may include a selection to enable the user tosend the link to his or her friends on social network group “A”, and/orsocial network group “B”, etc. Selection of a social networking groupcauses the MCD 38 to send the link to recipients in the group using,e.g., the telephony transceiver 40 or network interface 56 along with amessage such as “watching this show, it's great” or otherrecommendation. It may now be appreciated that a link accompanying aprogram presented on the AVDD 12 can be automatically provided to theMCD 38 for using the link as a recommendation to friends of the usertransparently to the AVDD 12.

While the particular ENHANCED INFORMATION ON MOBILE DEVICE FOR VIEWEDPROGRAM AND CONTROL OF INTERNET TV DEVICE USING MOBILE DEVICE is hereinshown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subjectmatter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only bythe claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Audio video display device (AVDD) comprising:processor configured for controlling a display; and non-transitorycomputer memory with instructions executable by the processor toconfigure the processor for: presenting a user interface (UI) on thedisplay of the AVDD prompting a user to select whether to allow the AVDDto be wirelessly controlled from a mobile control device (MCD), the UIincluding a first selector selectable to deny control of the AVDD to allMCDs, a second selector selectable to permit control of the AVDD usingany MCD executing device discovery and authentication in accordance withdiscovery protocols recognized by the AVDD, and a third selectorselectable to permit control of the AVDD only from MCDs made by aparticular manufacturer or running a particular operating system; andresponsive to a discovery signal from an MCD not authorized to controlthe AVDD, recognizing the discovery signal but not responding to it suchthat the AVDD remains hidden from the MCD.
 2. The AVDD of claim 1,wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure theprocessor to provide program information to the MCD to enable the MCD toobtain supplemental information related to a program being presented onthe AVDD and to browse the supplemental information transparently to theAVDD so as not to disturb viewers of the AVDD.
 3. The AVDD of claim 1,wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure theprocessor to provide a network link to the MCD, the network link relatedto a program being presented on the AVDD, to enable the MCD to send thelink to social networking friends of a user of the MCD to recommend theprogram to the friends.